PUSCHKINIA 



PVRACANTHA 



1467 



PUSCHKlNIA (Count M. Puschkin, Russian poet). 

 FAlidcea'. A genus of 2 species of liardy spring-bloom- 

 ing bulbs from S. Asia, with clusters of small 6-lobe(i 

 white fls., each narrow lobe being prettily lined with 

 blue. A good specimen may have as many as 10 tls., 

 •each '% in. across. The peculiar feature of the genus 

 is the crown on which the stamens are borne. This is 

 a white body of petal-like texture, having 6 lobes, each 

 of which is variously toothed. The genus is allied to 

 Seilla and Chionodoxa. Lvs. 2-;!, linear, surrounding 

 the lower part of the scape. Excellent early plants. 



scilloldes, Adams {Addmsia scilloldes, Willd.). 

 Height 4-12 in.: bulb globular, about % in. thick: lvs. 

 as long as scape, 3^-1 in. wide: raceme 1-10-fld.; pedi- 

 cels slender, erect: perianth usually bluish white; di- 

 visions elliptic-oblong, three times as long as the tube; 

 crown one-third as long as divisions, cleft to middle 

 into truncate or refuse teeth. Var. Libanbtica, Boiss. 

 {P. Libin>6tic(i, Zucc), differs from the type in having 

 divisions of perianth % in. long and the teeth of the 

 crown more acute and bifid. Gn. .'52, p. 5; 54, p. 219. 

 B.M. 2244. P.S. 21:2220 (as P. sicula). 



F. W. Barclay and W. M. 



PUTRANJiVA (meaning obscure). Euphorbidcew. 

 A genus of 2 species of tender evergreen trees native 

 of India. Lvs. alternate, undivided, entire or serrulate: 

 fls. axillary, small, yellow or white, monoecious or 

 diciecious, the female subsolitary, the male clustered ; 

 stamens l-.S : ovary 2-3-celled : drupe 1-celled. Flora 

 of British India, 5:33G. 



Roxbiirghii, Wall. Indian Amulet Plant. A mod- 

 ei-ate-sized tree, nearly glabrous: lvs. 2-3 in. long, 

 oliliqueh' ovate to ovate-lanceolate, serrulate: fls. small, 

 yellow; sepals of male fl. 3-5, of female 5-6: fr. globose 

 to ovoid, size of a cherry or smaller, white tomentose. 

 Cult, in S. Fla. p. W. Barclay. 



PUTTY-ROOT. CoraUorhiza. 



P(tYA (Chilean name). Bromelidcece. Forty-four 

 species, according to Mez (DC. Monogr. Phaner. 9) of 

 large terrestrial xerophytic South American brome- 

 liads, allied to Pitcairnia (differing in having a fully 

 superior rather than partially superior ovary). For 

 culture, see also Billbergia. Piiya coerulea, P. Whytei 

 and P. heterophylla are here referred to Pitcairnia. 

 Puya also includes the plants known in trade as 

 Pourretia. 



A. Fls. yellow. 



Chilensis, Molina (Pitcairnia coarctdta, Pers., and P. 

 Chilensis, Lodd.). Becoming 4-5 ft. or more high, 

 sometimes branching: lvs. in tufts, 2-4 ft. long, very 

 narrow, often recurved, the margins armed with strong 

 recurved spines or thorns, glaucous: blossoms in a 

 branching, hoary, bracted inflorescence rising 3-5 ft. 

 from the top of the caudex, the fls. large (2 in. across), 

 sessile or nearly so, the 3 lanceolate sepals greenish 

 and he obovate-oblong much-exserted petals yellow or 

 greenish yellow, the 6 erect stamens shorter than the 

 letals, the stigma 3-branched. Chile. B.M. 4715. F.S. 

 9:869-70. G.C. III. 7:685. -A striking and mammoth 

 bromeliad, making a yucca-like mass of foliage and 

 projecting above it a very showy inflorescence. 



AA. Fls. white or rose-color. 



gig&s, Andre. Still larger than the latter, sending its 

 titanic spikes 20 to 30 ft. into the air, from a rosette of 

 hard and thick spiny-toothed agave-like lvs. : inflores- 

 cence simple, dense, club-shaped, terminating the tall, 

 erect, bracted scape: lvs. green above and white be- 

 neath, the spines black and hooked: fls. white, passing 

 into rose. Colombia, 10,000 ft. R.H. 1881, p. 315, and 

 Gn. 21, p. 309. — Can probably be handled like agaves. 



L. H. B. 



Puyas and Pitcairnias are mostly warmhouse plants, 

 requiring the general treatment given Musas, Dieffen- 

 bachias and Marantas. They prefer a fairly heavy 

 loam, and, except when in bloom, a constant supply of 

 moisture. When in bloom, the plant should be elevated 

 on a pedestal or inverted pots in order to protect it 



from excessive moisture and to allow the scape full 

 opportunity to expand. Propagated by division. 



H. A. SlEBRECHT. 



Puyas and Pitcairnias are generally found in collec- 

 tions of bromeliads and are usually grown in moist 

 tropical houses. The native home of the Puyas is on 

 the steep, stony slopes of the Cordilleras at high alti- 

 tudes with little other vegetation for company except 

 some species of Cereus. This would indicate that drier 

 and cooler conditions, or such as we give Cacti and suc- 

 culents, would suit them best, yet they thrive equally 

 well in the tropical house. Indeed, the writer has 

 found most of the family BromeliaceiB very accom- 

 modating not only to temperature and moisture condi- 

 tions, but to soils and methods of growing them; for 

 instance, many of the Tillandsias may be grown on 

 blocks of wood as epiphytes, yet they do equally well 

 grown in ])ots. But what perhaps is more remarkable 

 is the fact that several of the stronger-growing Brome- 

 liads appear to grow equally well either in a strong 

 loamy mixture, or a mixture of chopped fern root and 

 charcoal. The writer has pineapples growing in both 

 mixtures with equal success. But the most rational 

 treatment is to give all the Bromeliads conditions and 

 soil similar to the environment in which they are found 

 in their native habitat, yet according to the experience 

 of the writer few plants possess such remarkable adap- 

 tability to changed conditions as do these plants. 



E. J. Canning. 



PYCNANTHEMUM (Greek, deyise and blossom; re- 

 ferring to compact flower-heads). Labidtce. Mountain 

 Fruit. Hardy aromatic perennial herbs with branching 

 stems and white or purplish fls. in terminal or sometimes 

 also axillary clusters, borne in late summer. Calyx 2- 

 lipped or5-toothed, naked in the throat; corolla 2-lipped; 

 stamens 4, straight and spreading, or connivent under 

 the upper lip ; the upper pair shorter or abortive : an- 

 thers 2-celled. The genus differs from Monarda in hav- 

 ing smaller and canescent fl. -heads. Pycnanthemums 

 are mint-like plants of easy culture in any good soil. 

 The following grow 1-3 ft. high, and bear fl. -heads K in. 

 across or less from July to September. Lvs. entire, gla- 

 brous or pubescent, nearly sessile. 



A. Lvs. lanceolate or linear-lanceolate: calyx-teeth, 

 ovate-triangular. 



lanceold,tum, Pursh. Stem rather stout: lvs. fragrant, 

 firm, acuminate at apex, rounded or narrowed at base, 

 1-2 in. long, 2-5 lines wide. Dry fields, Canada to Ga., 

 west to Minn. B.B. 3:112. 



AA. Lvs. linear: calyx-teeth subulate, bristle-tipped. 



linifdlium, Pursh. Stem slender: lvs. 1-2 in. long, 

 Vi-Wi lines wide. In fields, Mass. to Fla., Ont., Minn, 

 and Texas. B.B. 3:111. 



P. Monardella, Michx., is properly Monarda Clinopodia, 

 Linn. A perennial herb with a slender, usually simple stem 

 1-3 ft. high. Lvs. lanceolate to ovate, membranaceous, briglit 

 green, slender-petioled, 2-4 in. long: fl. -heads solitary, terminal: 

 corolla yellowish, 1 in. long or less. .Jnne-Ang. Fields, Ont. to 

 Ga. B.B. 3:102.— P. vulgare, offered by Jacob W. Manning in 

 1892, was raised from seed received from Wm. Thompson, of 

 Ipswich, Eng. J. Woodward Manning writes that this plant 

 is properly Origanum vulgare, which see. 



F. W. Barclay. 



PYRACANTHA (Greek pyr, fire, and akanthos, thorn; 

 alluding to the bright red fruits). Rosdcea'. Ornamen- 

 tal evergreen thorny shrubs, with alternate rather 

 small and narrow crenulate lvs., white fls. in corymbs, 

 and bright red fruits. P. coccinea is hardy as far north as 

 Mass. in sheltered positions. It is a handsome low ever- 

 green shrub, especially when loaded with its bright red 

 fruits, these remaining on the branches all winter if not 

 eaten by birds, which are fond of them; it is also pretty 

 in spring with its numerous corymbs of white fls. It is 

 well adajited for planting on rocky slopes or sunny 

 rockeries or for borders of shrubberies ; it may also be 

 used for low ornamental hedges or for covering walls, 

 as it stands pruning well and is easily trained into any 

 desired shape. It thrives in almost any kind of well- 

 drained soil, including limestone, and prefers sunny po- 

 sitions. Prop, by seeds or by cuttings of ripened wood 

 in fall under glass, kept during the winter in a temper- 



